open ♔ may castle socialization

[wynn]

WHO || Everyone! [ota]
WHAT || Shenanigans.
WHERE || Anywhere in the castle, surrounding environs, London, etc!
WHEN || Any time during May/June [ forward dated]
HOW || Actionspam

[ The castle can be a happening place, even on more mundane days. This log is for random interactions over the course of these few months. Because not everyone is into parties, ok.

You are encouraged to start your own threads and tag around, and feel free to threadjack into any on-going threads that aren't specified as 'closed' in the subject lines since people can enter into rooms even in the middle of what's going on. WE ARE BIG ON THREAD-JACKING HERE. You can also specify 'single thread', meaning you want only one response for all participants, rather than multi-thread, where a number of different scenes/threads can be done as replies to the top prompt.]

On this log:
Vi @ the desk
Klaus @ the desk
Maxwell @ the desk
Aurelius @ Dragon's Fire wing
Gar @ the library
Dovan @ 2nd floor pub
Mark @ castle grounds
Lila @ the firing range
Abigail @ library/grounds/kitchen/training rooms
Spike (Kyp) @ people's rooms
Mars @ the library
Sebastian @ front steps
Alaric @ Dragon's Hoard wing
Myri @ cleric's wing, etc.
Spike @ infirmary/kitchen/outside/etc
Elena @ her room
Buffy & Kyp (and Fred) | Closed
Jack @ the cleric's wing
Kyp @ the dungeon
Spike, Buffy, & Helen | Closed
Rose @ various
Lila & Hook | Closed
Han @ the firing range
Brantley & Andrew | Closed
Vi & Des @ the garden
Failboat @ pancake brunch | Closed
Faye @ the library
Alanna @ the firing range
Jaina's induction party
Alex & Abigail | Closed
The Doctor @ the castle grounds
Elena & Helen | Closed
Dumage & Damon | Closed
Lila, Sylar, & Helen | Closed
Damon @ the bar/various

Comments

[graveflowers]

No, sweetie, they would have found a different way. This isn't on you, not for a second, not at all. They would have gone through Dumage or Francesca. [ logical choices based on dumage being easy access and francesca also heading home before everyone else did. she's gentle, but her bright eyes flash dangerously. yes, she very much wants to enact violence on something or someone for making myri think any of this, ever, could be her fault. ] They wanted you. But they're evil, they would have found a way to get at us anyway. You didn't do anything wrong, okay?

[witchwoman]

[She doesn't believe that. They wanted her- something to do with Nadia. Kyp had said so again tonight, but arguing the point seems exhausting. Instead she just leans her head on Vi's shoulder.]

I've missed you so much.

[graveflowers]

[ she doesn't say "i missed you too" because she didn't and it makes her stomach hurt and her chest seize up. it will never be okay, that the girl she claimed as her sister had been missing for over two months and vi was too broken and dense to realize that the imposter she'd been spending time with was just that. she was the one of them not actively avoiding myri, she sought her out time and time again, she braided her hair nearly everyday, and she still didn't realize, she still couldn't tell her best friend from a cheap imitation.

she had no excuse.

closing her eyes, she squeezes myri's shoulders. ] I knew why you left. It wasn't just Finnick, we were killing you and you would never admit it because you're just as stubborn as Amaranth. But you left and part of me was happy because you'd be safer without us, you'd be able to breathe easier because we weren't there to drain all your energy away with how fucked up we are.

I never thought... I never thought it would be worse for you. I'm so sorry I didn't realize.

[witchwoman]

[She's quiet for a moment, like she's thinking or trying to decide how to say something.]

I think-- While I was there, they used my empathy against me, tortured other prisoners in front of me to see how far the gift would pull at me, how much it would hurt. There was a moment when I thought I was going to die, but something changed. I thought about you. About Finnick and Buffy and Elena, Spike and Kat and Mark and Des, Gar and Francesca, even Archer. And it hurt a little less. Every day it hurt a little less.

[She turns to look at Vi, because this point is important.] I know you're still hurting. I can tell that it's there, even if you wish you weren't for my sake. But I don't feel it. So you don't have to be afraid.

[graveflowers]

[ she smiles weakly at the absurdity of myri comforting her after all she has been through because myri is literally the light in the darkness. she feels a rush of gratitude for the blonde woman, but it's dull with sorrow. they'd used her beautiful gift against her. ]

Can you still feel the good things though, even if the pain is gone?

[witchwoman]

I don't know. [She answers honestly.] There hasn't been much good to feel.

[graveflowers]

There's Finnick. [ feel that. ] Des has a boyfriend. Jade came and said bye to him, I think it was kind of sweet probably. I mean, I wasn't there, but I imagine so. You know how hard it is for me to feel happy, right? Consider me your guide to finding the tiniest happiness even where there might not be any. I'm a professional now, we'll figure it out.

[witchwoman]

Together. [She says, reaching over and taking one of Vi's hands with her own.] Spike told me about Des. What's his name?

[Maybe talking about less heavy things for a moment would be nice.]

[graveflowers]

Zarad. He's still in New York, but I threatened Des' junk if he didn't bring him to my knighting, so we'll get to meet him soonish. Probably soon. Some time soon, I imagine. And, in passing, I may have proposed to Luthir. Oh! And Finnick taught me to swim. It was hilarious because I am definitely not a fish like him so there was a lot of flailing while he somehow managed to look hot and like it was supremely easy, which was rude on both accounts.

[witchwoman]

[Back the truck up, sister.]

...You proposed?

[graveflowers]

Yup. [ so apprehensive. she told this to fauxmyri and it was fine, but hindsight is 20/20 and that was a bastard in disguise. ] He said yes, so I'm sort of engaged. I just haven't told anyone. Except you and Finnick. [ and felicity and alex, but she meant she didn't tell anyone else in failboat. ]

[witchwoman]

Vi, that's wonderful! But... why not tell the others?

[graveflowers]

[ she shrugs. ] They've got loads of stuff on their plates, I don't want to bug them. I only told you and Finnick because I tell you everything and it felt weird, you not knowing. Itchy.

[witchwoman]

[She can't help but ask the question that's nagging at her.]

This isn't the first time you've told me, is it? [Not really her, but... she figures she doesn't need to explain that part.]

[graveflowers]

You were the first person I told. I called before we left for New York, 'cause I missed you.

[witchwoman]

[She feels just terrible that it wasn't actually her, that what happened to her might somehow cheapen the moment for Vi.]

I hate this. I feel like they took my life from me. And Elena... Her ceremony. She'll never be able to think of it without remembering everything else.

[graveflowers]

[ it didn't cheapen anything and if myri asked, she would tell her so. it make it more important now, knowing it wasn't myri the first time. she sighs a little, smoothing down myri's hair and kissing her forehead. ] She will one day, it'll dim to something she doesn't hate thinking about. She's resilient, she'll come back from this. And you keep forgetting that not everything was bad -- you came home to us.

[witchwoman]

With everything else that happened, I don't know if that quite balances it out...

[graveflowers]

[ oh ffs she gave her "you're the heart of the team" speech to that doppelcunt didn't she? okay, now she is pissed. STATEMENT IMMEDIATELY RETRACTED KYPPER. what the fuck ever, she is giving it again. fuck the police. ]

Myrilandel de Tanos. [ THAT'S RIGHT, WOMAN. IF YOU HAD A MIDDLE NAME SHE WOULD HAVE USED IT. ] You are the most important part of this team, this family. You're our heart, you keep us human and you keep us sane. Do you think I would still be here if you hadn't been there for me all those months? 'cause, FYI, I would not be. [ she would have jumped off a bridge long before raf tried if she didn't have myri and finnick and luthir there to remind her that giving in was the same as giving up. and she couldn't stand the idea of myri mourning someone else. ]

Honey, you coming home is worth a ruined ceremony, I promise you. Kyp, that stupid fuck, didn't prove his bosses right, he proved them so, so wrong. We're better together, we're stronger together, and you, dweeb, are what brings us together. I mean, next time, I would prefer the kidnapping thing not happen, maybe you could just yell as us? But you're worth it, babe, you are so worth it.

[witchwoman]

[She can't even say anything to that, she just turns and holds tightly onto Vi, tears falling more freely than they have since she first arrived back. The moment with Finnick in the ballroom had been brief. This is full on, chest heaving sobs. Because she had forgotten what it was like to have this, to have these people who love her so much.]

[graveflowers]

[ vi just lets her cry. myri has been there so many times for her, it's time to return the favor. her fingers smooth through myri's hair in an aggressively soothing manner. soooooooooooothe, soooooooooooothe, soothe. she doesn't say anything useful. but after a while a little roman lullaby slips out and her hair playing with starts to match the lazy rhythm of the song. ]

[witchwoman]

[The sobs begin to subside eventually, leaving her exhausted, still curled up next to Vi as she lets her breathing grow more even. She'll fall asleep like this before long.]

Tell me about Luthir. How did you propose?

[Apparently this is her bedtime story of choice. Is it any wonder, though? Vi's happiness is the best sort of story.]

[graveflowers]

It was Valentine's Day. [ yep. keeping secrets 5eva, but w/e this one doesn't even count as a secret. ] We were talking in bed, about... god, I don't even know anymore. Oh! He called me adorable. [ and then she proposed. ]

[witchwoman]

I can't imagine Luthir saying that word. But I can't imagine him saying most words.

[graveflowers]

Well, technically, I said it and he just agreed with me, but that's basically the same thing. Anyway. I asked him to marry me and he double checked that I actually meant it because that was probably the fifth time I asked. But then he said yes. [ she can't help the stupid smile on her face and the happiness blossoming under her skin. god, she loves him. she loves him so much. and she is so impossibly happy with him, far more than she deserves. ] And then I had to double check because I was really surprised. Like a dumbass.